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Keir Starmer has condemned the shadow justice secretary's remarks about the lack of white faces in parts of Birmingham, suggesting the politician was hard to take seriously.

Leadership Campaign Claims

The prime minister suggested that his comments were part of a covert Tory bid for leadership and said he did not believe they painted a true picture the neighborhood of the Birmingham district.

I find it difficult to regard Robert Jenrick's statements as credible; he's obviously continuing his leadership campaign.

The shadow justice secretary has been accused of fuelling a wave of divisive sentiment after he doubled down on his complaint despite criticism from figures including the former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

Community Rejection and Support

Starmer, who did not directly engage the comments, said he had supported Street's criticisms of Jenrick.

• Street had told BBC Newsnight the comments were wrong and described the area as a highly cohesive community.
• I think that what Andy Street said was right, Starmer said. Having served as mayor for an extended period, Andy Street possesses deep familiarity with the locality.

Kemi Badenoch, defended Jenrick, saying he had made a factual statement and that there was nothing wrong with making observations.

However, she added on the program: I don’t think this is where the debate should be, about how many faces people see on the street and what they look like.

Internal Divisions

Mel Stride became the first senior Tory to disassociate from his colleague over the statements, telling a gathering that they were phrases I would have avoided.

Jenrick repeatedly informed journalists at the conference that he stood by the remarks and did not retract them as it would be wrong to end a crucial discussion that we have to have as a country about social cohesion.

When a reporter suggested that his comments could embolden extremist organizations, he said it was an absolutely disgraceful and ridiculous inquiry.

Original Statements

In his original remarks, the MP said the area was among the least cohesive locations I have visited. In fact, in the hour and a half he was recording in the area he didn’t see another white face.

This is not the nation I desire to reside in. I prefer a country with proper integration. Skin color or religion is not the issue—naturally not. However, I advocate for people coexisting together, not leading separate existences. That is not the ideal lifestyle for our country.